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Like a lot of NYrs, and, in my case, born-and-raised Lower Manhattanites, thinking or talking about 9/11 and the aftermath can be frustrating or disturbing at best, so I file it away. Then I'm surprised again when the date rolls around and I end up recalling that era anyway.
But, I was in the film business at the time, and this is a film industry story that's not well known and should be. Also it's a 'unity' story, and the idea of American unity is part of the 9/11 legend...
...and destroying that political unity, or even political dialogue, serves a lot of purposes, one of which is that it makes it hard for us to decarbonize our society.
The key grip is this story likely refers to a friend & co-worker from the time, as I heard about the same episode from him on a shoot we worked together a few months later. The NY film system is divided into union & non-union. Music videos and network promos typically non-union.
I spent a lot of time with the non-union crew ppl because I directed a lot of network promos (many of Showtime's on-air IDs, also HBO, MTV, ESPN, Comedy Central). Interesting group, fun to be around, film shoots are like running away and joining the circus.
It was the first night that the non-union crew ppl were crucial. Tony Argento, owner of Luna Lighting, acted. That afternoon and evening were a largely self-organized rescue operation, b/c the City's emergency command center was gone, lost in the collapse of the WTC complex.
Here's a story I heard from my grip friend, later a first AD, who I suspect is the source in this piece. jwsoundgroup.net/index.php?/top… 
Around midnight, he was out on the pile, setting up lights where workers were digging, and alongside him there was an ironworker with a welding rig cutting rebar so they could pull rubble out. He asked the guy where he was from and the answer was 'Indiana.'
The guy had watched the collapse of second tower, put his rig in his truck, and started to drive to New York. He got in at about 11pm and found his way downtown.
*That* was definitely a unity story. Given a role and a positive way to act, people will go a lot further than one might think.
